The Godfather

Michael Kills Solozzo

In The Godfather, during the scene where Michael is sitting in a restaurant with Solozzo, the camera constantly cuts between the two of them, however, when the camera is on Michael it is a close-up shot and when it shifts to Solozzo it is a shot from Michael's point of view; this subjects the audience to Michael's interpretation of the situation. Furthermore, Michael get's much more screen time than Solozzo and McKluskey which emphasises the emotions shown by Michael, the screen is also always so close to Michael it shows that he is trapped and enclosed in an uncomfortable position.

During the conversation between Michael and Solozzo in Italian, there is no subtitles, this increases tension and makes the audience feel as if they are not privileged enough to be apart of this elite conversation. The tension is increased in this conversation because the audience know's Michael has been sent to kill Solozzo and yet they have to rely on facial expressions to see whether Michael with go through with his task. During this conversation there is a wide-shot of the table; this shows that most of the tables around them are completely empty and there is barely anyone in the restaurant, this identifies that Michael is completely isolated and alone with no escape apart to complete his mission.

The sounds in the restaurant are emphasised to an almost unrealistic volume which can express Michael's fear and adrenaline levels, he then leaves to go to the bathroom to almost escape the all consuming paranoia at the table. While he looks for the gun it seems as if it takes him a while which increases the tension and the sounds in the bathroom are also blown out of proportion as if to show his nervousness and the pressure of his mind-numbing decision. Just before Michael leaves the bathroom he attempts to basically cleanse himself of any signs of fear and nervousness by checking himself and as he steps outside of the bathroom and back into the restaurant the deigetic sounds of the kitchen and train almost hit him instantly.

As Michael is contemplating his decision, the sound of the train slowly increases in volume to give the impression that the film is building towards some significant moment. As Michael prepares to shoot Solozzo and McKluskey, the audience begins to see the event through his eyes

Magazine Analysis

Masthead:
This is usually the title of the magazine, most of the time it takes up 15% to 20% of the cover. The title will usually always look the same so audiences are aware it is this brand the moment they see it. Most of the time it is just one word so it is easy to remember.

Strapline:
This is a phrase usually placed below the title in smaller writing. It can usually relate to the target audience and can be an ideology of the magazine.

Coverlines:
Most of the cover of the magazine are covered in these sub-headings. There is usually one title more prominent than the rest because this is supposed to be the main coverline.

Main Image
The main image of the magazine usually takes up the majority of the whole cover, the cover usually sends across a message to the audience of what the magazine is based around. There is no border and it fits in the background so it is noticeable and so the titles are noticeable over it.

Trailer Analysis

Dear John

The Title of the film is 'Dear John', this refers to letters sent to soldiers during war; these letters are break-up letters from partners back home, this suggests the plot of the story already. Furthermore, John is a very common name which suggests that this could happen to anyone who is in the a similar position. At the start of the trailer, the girl has her bag knocked into the sea and John rescues it for her; this suggests he is her hero and he has almost won her. The music as they get to know each other is very slow because it is showing the speed their relationship is building up at; as the music stops completely they kiss, this suggests the major plot in the film because it seems as if nothing is more important in this film than their relationship.

The film is also from the author of 'The Notebook', this film is very successful in the romantic genre and so the audience will have high expectations for Dear John. The actors in this film are Amanda Seyfried who typically does RomComs and Comedies, whereas Channing Tatum is mostly in comedies and action films, this type if film is very typical for Amanda Seyfried but not for Channing Tatum so the audience will be surprised to see him in the film and will have mixed expectations, however these are well-known actors and this could appeal more to the audience.

The tone in the trailer is represented by the setting, when it is lighter the characters seem cheerful and happy, however when it is darker the music intensifies and they seem to be crying and almost depressed; this is also an enigma code as it makes the audience wonder what has happened. Also, when they are together they are on a beach which is a romantic setting, however when they are apart John is in a war torn and depressing environment, this literally shows that when they are apart John is depressed and unhappy.

In the trailer it appears than John has a bad relationship with his father and Amanda Seyfried's character is almost like his mentor as well as the stock Princess character that he has to win. Then his father ends up in the hospital and he starts showing John some compassion; this is very generic to this genre and is recycled time and time again to play on the audiences emotions. This is also an enigma code because it makes the audience wonder what has happened to his father.

The only binary opposition suggested in the trailer is Love vs Chaos, this is because when they are together their lives are in order and they are happy, however, when they are apart they seem to be incredibly unhappy and John is actually at war. Moreover, there doesn't appear to be a real enemy or any forcing opposition which effects the characters. The audience is positioned to be a voyeur to their relationship as you are watching them as a third party and not through one of the characters eyes; this allows the audience to create their own interpretation of their relationship.

In the trailer she says it only took a few weeks for her to fall in love with him, this is very generic to the genre as it acts as if it was love at first sight and a very fairytale relationship, this appeals greatly to the audience as this is what many of them want to see. Furthermore, she says at the end of the trailer that 'a lot can happen in 12 months', this is definitely an enigma code as it makes the audience wonder what happened. 

Finally the characters in this film are very generic because the male character is very manly as he is part of the special forces yet he is incredibly emotional, many films like to use this type of character; this is appealing to mostly the female audience as he could appear to be attractive to them, and also the female character seems to be quite smart and it appears that she can ride horses as she was at a stable, she can also play the guitar which can appeal to the male audience as they may see her as very lustful and attractive.

Trailer Analysis

Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer

As the trailer starts, it instantly shows New York; this gives an image to the audience that New York will be where the terror starts, the shot type is also a long shot and this is because it wants to show the majority of the city to give an idea that the whole of New York is at risk. Furthermore, seconds into the trailer you can hear someone laughing in a very sinister way; this is an enigma code because the audience are already wondering who it is.

In the trailer Ultron constantly says he has no strings, this is trying to give a clear message to the audience that he is not one of Stark's creations and that he is his own person. Then there is very sinister music which relates instantly to evil. Captain America is wearing an outfit with red, white and blue on it which shows the patriotic side to him and makes him more likeable to the audience as they will appreciate him representing America.

The binary oppositions in this trailer are good vs evil because the evil character fights the good character and right vs wrong; this is because Ultron says that humans are destroying the Earth and the only way to save it is to make all humans extinct, this raises questions as to whether he is right and maybe the humans are wrong.

There are many big acting stars shown in this trailer such as Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johannson, James Spader (Ultron), Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson; this will appeal to many people watching the trailer as people will instantly think that because they are in the movie it will be good. Furthermore, the are many action codes such as the various explosions and battles which show the audience it is an action movie. These action codes can also be enigma codes too because it shows Hulk and Iron Man fighting which raises questions to the audience, furthermore, it shows Thor chocking Tony Stark which also raises a question for the audience; this can lead to more people watching the film on release because they want their questions answered and they want to see if their expectations and predictions are met. Another enigma code is when Dr Banner is seen to be cowering and unhappy; this is also a suspicion raiser.

The film seems to have a very dark tone about it because of the music and the scenes shown, these scenes consist of explosions and what seems to be total destruction, the dark tone is unusual for Marvel Films as they usually have a much lighter tone with slight comedy embedded but it seems to be completely different which could draw in more viewers.

Near the end of the trailer, the non-diegetic sound such as the music builds up to the big reveal of the evil character, this designed to make the audience predict what would happen and if the audience is right it can be a pleasurable sensation if their expectations are met.

In the trailer the hero's are shown to be wearing lighter colours such as Captain America with the red, white and blue, Thor with his red cape and Iron Man with his red and gold suit. However, Ultron is a robot which is coloured black and grey with a dark red glow, black and red contrasted creates the stereotypical evil colour mix, this in turn allows the audience to immediately identify him as the evil character.

Ultron appears to be a very stereotypical villain, like Loki in the previous Avengers, he wishes to basically rule over Earth and be seen as it's saviour; however, he does take a different approach as Loki wanted to be King of Earth whereas Ultron wants to rid the Earth of humans to be almost a saviour as he believes the Earth is polluted by them.

There is a constant theme throughout the trailer as if the Avengers have already lost and Ultron has won, this is demonstrated when all the Avengers are aboard an aircraft and they all look damaged and depressed. Furthermore, there are many explosions shown which makes it seem as if the Avengers could not prevent Ultron from destroying cities. Ultron also says that he is going to show the Avengers the whole world screaming, this creates the impression that Ultron is going for mass destruction and total annihilation without restricting his attacks to New York like Loki; this is reinforced when many different places and countries are shown in the trailer to make it seem like his attacks are on a large scale.

Finally, the director of the film is Joss Whedon, he was also the director of the first Marvel Avengers and so if people enjoyed the first movie, they will expect the second one to be good also, this can lead more people to watch the movie as they will want their expectations to be met so they will choose to go with a similar film.

NSPCC Adverts Analysis

Analysis 1

The wallpaper and background on this advert is pink with hearts plastered all over it, this gives the impression that the girl is young, innocent and doesn't deserve to be abused. The text on the advert is small and towards the bottom of the picture, this is because the picture itself is very powerful and can draw in the audience; the audience will then read the text after viewing the picture. The camera is level with the mask because it wants the audience to see this first and think about the mask specifically and what it represents, furthermore it wants you to see the kind of people at risk of abuse and by looking at the girl you would never expect her to be a victim, this is an eye opener for the viewer because it shows anyone could be at risk no matter how normal they look. 

The target audience for this advert is adults, this is because it is trying to raise awareness on the subject for abuse, this also satisfies the need to nurture because if someone can see that a young girl is a victim of abuse they may be more inclined to support the cause; whereas, if someone just heard about it they may not be as interested in helping. This advert could also be targeted towards abuse victims themselves as it is trying to put the message across that they don't need to suffer in silence and that there are people that want to help them.

Also the mask which is hung up tells the audience that the girl is pretending to be happy when really she is hiding her pain and fear, this could be used to inform adults that they need to be able to see past these masks so that they can really help people in need; it could also be used to tell young people that their friends could be hiding how they really feel and that they need help.

The text on the advert says 'When you're ready', a victim of abuse may think that they are not pressured in to speaking about their problems and that nobody is forcing them to reveal very personal details, instead, it gives the impression that it is in your best interests to speak to someone and that they will be supportive of your issues.

The advert is about a girl who is at a school age which supports the ideology that this group in society is the most at risk of child abuse, this also gives the impression that this age group may be the most secretive about abuse and that they may feel embarrassed to admit what has happened or they feel pressured to keep it to themselves.

Some audiences may respond differently to this advert, some people may feel responsible and that they are required to help somebody else by looking at the image as it may affect them more on a personal level if they have experienced something similar or a tragedy in their own childhood. However, somebody who has never been involved in a situation similar to this may not understand; they may think that the girl in the advert shouldn't need prompting to talk about her problems and should have gone straight to people who can help her, this is because they may not understand the embarrassment and pressure to stay quiet.

On the second advert there is no background, it is a extreme close up image which makes the audience feel like they can not just ignore her because she is looking towards the viewer. The shadow on the girls face gives the impression that a darkness or danger is creeping on her but that she can be saved from this impending danger because of the light on one side of her. It could also mean that she is in a dark place and the light could be like a door and a way out from her pain. The camera angle places her eyes in the centre of the image, this makes you think that the girl is looking right at you and wants you specifically to help her. I can infer from image that because of the mute symbol over her mouth that it isn't her choice to stay quiet and that someone has pressured her and almost forced her to keep her problems a secret. 

The target audience of this advert is adults because it is trying to get the message across that the girl staying quiet isn't her choice and that this is the same for many other victims. Many people think that these victims stay quiet out of embarrassment but this tells the audience that she is being forced to stay quiet and by looking right at you she is telling you she does want help. This satisfies the need to nurture as it can play on the emotions of a person if they see that a girl is being forced into silence. This advert also shows a young girl just like the previous one, this may be trying to reinforce the idea that this specific group in society is most at risk and need the most help.

The text in this advert says 'What do you say?' and 'Who to?', this is a direct question to the audience and it might play on the guilt of the person if they have never done anything to help against child abuse; this increases the chances of somebody helping.

Some people may respond differently to this advert because some people may have their own personal experiences just like with the last advert, some people may understand the pressure of staying quiet while other people may not. If someone understands the pressure on these children then maybe they will act differently as they may want to help as it plays on their personal emotions. However if someone has never experienced anything like this then they won't understand how anyone could be pressured into staying quiet and may even blame the children for keeping it a secret and refusing help.

Audiences

Active and Passive Audiences

1.) Two theories associated with the effects debate are the desensitisation model and the hypodermic syringe model. The desensitisation is a long term effect theory, this suggests that constant exposure to repeated media messages can make an audience immune to the effects. For example, if the audience constantly watch the news and there are stories of murders or acts of violence then over time, after repeatedly seeing these news stories, the audience member will see the events differently and won't be as affected by them as they previously would; the person may also become completely immune to the effects as they may think these events are no longer events and just regular occurrences.

The hypodermic syringe model is a short term effect theory, this suggests that the people are more like robots that can't think for themselves and if the audience consume media it will instantly effect how they act. For example, if an audience member plays GTA then they will instantly become more violent and aggressive. 

2.) An active audience reception suggests that the audience can consume media while still being able to make their own opinions and choices. Furthermore, it suggests that the media can inspire an idea but the text has no meaning when it is made; it suggests that the person will give it a meaning upon consuming the text. An active audience has free will and can't be forced to act in a way without their consent and them wanting to. A passive audience suggests that they have no free will and are easily manipulated, for example, if an audience member watches The Matrix then they will immediately be affected and they have no choice but to act differently in relation to that film. It also suggests that the audience members are just followers and can not make their own decisions but will however do what they are told.

3.) I don't think violence in the media can cause violent behaviour, I think that person would have to be violent already, however, the media text could inspire that person and give them an idea of how to commit an act of violence but if they didn't consume that media they still would have committed the act but it would have been done in a different way. It all depends on the person you are, if you are naturally violent and aggressive then you will most likely be a violent person with or without the media; the media may only be an inspiration.

4.) I believe active audiences theories are more acceptable because I have played violent video games myself and I have seen many violent films, however, I have never committed an act of violence or done anything to anyone in relation to a film. Furthermore, millions of people play games such as GTA but not all of them are violent people, very few people who play these game will ever repeat something from the game or ever lash out in violence because of it. I also believe that all of us are independent and have free will and that we are not like robots who respond to commands which we consume in the media. 

5.) A media text I enjoy is Top Gear, I believe this offers escapism and entertainment as it allows you to forget about everything else going on while you are entertained with humour and interesting facts. This could also come under information/surveillance because if you are interested in cars then the show can keep you informed on new cars and which ones are the best according to the hosts. Social interaction also plays a part in this text as it allows you to share what you have seen on the show and it opens a conversation which you can have with someone else.

Textual Analysis of Advertising

Textual Analysis of Advertising

The Humour used in this advert makes it memorable. The advert doesn’t really talk about the product, however because of how unique it is this advert has become a talking point and has appeared in newspapers and social networking sites; this is mostly advertising the Pot Noodle brand itself as it raises awareness towards it. This advert is effective as it has become very popular and because of this, Pot Noodle has become a brand that everyone in the UK has heard of. Even if people do not buy the product because of this advert they will most likely take it under more consideration than before just because it will be on their mind.

The Repetition in this advert is the slogan “eat fresh”, this is something which many people have heard of and can help draw more customers in as this informs the public that their food is “fresh” and so it may appeal to more people. Furthermore, the slogan is only two short words making it easy to say and this can give the impression that the company is very simple and just makes your food without any problems. I think this slogan is effective as it will draw more customers in because it gives a better impression of the food if it says “fresh”.

Lines of Appeal

Cadbury’s Gorilla Advert

This advert doesn’t have a specific target audience, the advert appeals to everyone but children mostly enjoy it. The use of a gorilla, which from certain films, are viewed as very dangerous but light-hearted animals appeals to many people because of how serious it looks at the start just before you see it start playing the drums.

This advert uses humour, this makes the advert more memorable and it sticks in your head. The use of a gorilla on an advert is very unique and it looks very realistic as it plays the drums. The song in the advert (Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight) is popular and well known which makes the advert appeal to older audiences as well as younger ones. The advert has nothing to do with the product being advertised; instead of the advert describing the chocolate itself it is more advertising the brand and raising awareness to make Cadbury's a household name. The advert appeals to the need of affiliation because the advert went viral and instead of just being viewed on tele it is being watched and shared all over the internet, this advert has now become a talking point which almost everyone in the UK will know about.

Furthermore, because of how unique the advert is and what is happening, this advert appeals to the need of aesthetic sensations because it draws you in to something unusual and it looks creative and creates the sensation of achievement just by watching it. The advert could also appeal to the need to escape because of how sensational it is; it helps you imagine the situation and the idea of that is pleasurable.

Reception Theory

FAST AND FURIOUS 6

The target audience of Fast and Furious is teenagers and young adults, this is because when the franchise started the characters were young. The characters main goal was that of 'The Cowboy', this is because they wanted to make money quickly as they began as a lower class family aspiring to become rich and live comfortable lives. Furthermore, the characters are definitely egoists as they care massively how others see them and their public image.

Even though the main characters are all criminals who get up to illegal activities such as street racing, drug trafficking, shoot-outs and armed robberies, we are still expected to like these characters - which most of the public do. The characters Dominic Toretto and Brian O'Connor believe in honour and family, to them family doesn't mean sharing the same blood, it means being loyal to them, being there for them when they're needed and not expecting anything in return. This ideology of family which is encoded in the film is what makes the characters likeable because although they're criminals they still have a heart and look out for each other; Dominic Toretto is also very religious which is unusual and before every meal they bless the table and in the very first film this actually took Brian O'Connor by surprise and made Brian grow closer to the family even though at the time he was an FBI agent working to get evidence on Dom and put him in jail along with the rest of his family.

This media text celebrates life itself as the characters are on the run from basically every agency in America yet they are still happy to be together and when Mia Toretto announces her pregnancy instead of being fearful it actually brings the family closer together and they celebrate even in a time of worry. This film can tell people what is really important about life because even though the main aim is to get money, the message behind it is that they are getting money so that they can disappear and be safe to maybe grow a family and a life in peace. Furthermore, someone can have trouble agreeing with this film because of experiences in their life revolving crime.

However, not everyone agrees with the message the film is trying to put across. This is because if the main objective of this family is to stay safe then why did they pursue a criminals life in the first place and instead live a regular life and grow a family in a regular, safe environment but instead they act as if the only way to be happy is to have more than enough money which they have to get by stealing and part-taking in illegal street races. Somebody's personal experiences could affect how they view this film as they may have been in situation revolving crime and they may think this film represents the life of crime in a much lighter life; when really it is very depressing and can break a persons spirit completely. Furthermore, even after all the crimes the characters committed it always seems to end well for them and they actually manage to get their freedom, however, many people who have been involved in crimes could be offended as they may believe that the film doesn't recognise how difficult living like that would be and that it doesn't give a realistic interpretation. 

Finally someone could take a negotiated reading and agree with some but not all of the media text. This may happen if somebody lives in a country where crime is not something to take lightly and they may believe that they shouldn't have gotten their criminal records wiped because they were still dangerous people; they may think that even though they helped a government agency to capture a fugitive which is a good thing, they still don't deserve to be free as they broke the law. Furthermore, someone could live in a country or society where this sort of crime does occur and this could make them think that the crimes displayed are quite realistic however the criminals would not be like the criminals in the film as they wouldn't care about anyone but themselves and they would put innocent people at risk whereas in the film the characters are the complete opposite and this could make people lose belief in the film's accurateness. 

FIFA 16 DEMO REVIEW

Straight away after getting into the FIFA 16 DEMO and after the very short loading screens you are presented with a choice instantly about which team you are going to choose as your favourite, these options are: Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, White Caps, Sounders FC, PSG, Borussia Dortmand, Inter Milan and Manchester City. Your favourite team will be the team that first pops up when you click 'Kick Off'.

Instantly I am impressed by how professional the game looks and how easy it is to navigate through the demo as all the options are on three pages which are very easy to switch over to. I play a game straight away to get used to the way the game plays and to try and spot differences between this FIFA and FIFA 15, after minutes of playing this game I can already feel how different this FIFA is to it's predecessor - which in my opinion wasn't very enjoyable.

Furthermore, while getting used to the game I decided to try out the Women's National Teams, USA and Germany, this is the first time women have ever appeared in FIFA and so this was enjoyable to experience a new feature.  

Other improvements in the demo were the commentators, every year the commentators are updated to say new things and try to give a little insight into the players and teams' real life status; after a couple of weeks the commentators will eventually become boring to listen to because they will repeat the same things they have already said many times.

As always the graphics has been improved but not as much as the previous years as this demo still looked very similar to FIFA 15 and looked like it had only a few changes such as: the stadiums look much better and the crowd seems much more realistic and responsive and also the corner flags and the grass now move in the wind making the game resemble real life football now more than ever.

Other improvements on the demo is that the tackling animation is much better as it actually feels like you can feel the player's weight and speed when you go in for a slide tackle and now the ball is much easier to win off players using these tackles than before when it was incredibly to get the ball back after you have just been tackled.

However the demo does still have it's faults as I think the gameplay feels too slow compared to other FIFA games and many people will not want to get used to the new feel in the game and may want it to be different but not as different as FIFA 16 feels from previous FIFA's. Also the new shooting mechanics make it very easy for the user to get shots on target from almost anywhere up to 35 yards and maybe even further no matter what difficulty the game is on - this is very unrealistic as no player can be that consistent on goal while off balance and in terrible positions.

In conclusion I do think this demo is a good change from previous FIFA's as the gameplay feels very different and it may be more fun for some people to adapt and get used it, however some people may not like the new feel of the game and may want it to be reverted back the way it used to be. Never the less, this game is enjoyable and will most likely be very popular upon release but it certainly has it's faults which may need tweaking to keep up to what the community want.